Books like 'Spud: Learning to Fly'
Readers who enjoyed Spud: Learning to Fly by John van de Ruit also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary comedy action / adventure humor boarding-school drama coming-of-age historical-fiction exploration
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Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsAn utterly wonderful debut novel of love, crime, magic, fate and a boy’s coming of age, set in 1980s Australia and infused with the originality, charm, pathos, and heart of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.The mind can take you anywhere you want to goEli Bell’s life is complicated...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama historical-fiction humor 21st-century action-adventure audiobook bildungsroman -
![Before Sunrise & Before Sunset: Two Screenplays by Richard Linklater, Kim Krizan]()
Before Sunrise & Before Sunset: Two Screenplays by Richard Linklater, Kim Krizan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn one volume, the screenplays to two contemporary classics, directed by Richard Linklater, and starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, about the immediate and life-altering attraction between two strangers. On a train from Budapest to Vienna, Jesse, a young American student, at the end of a romance and his European trip, meets Celine, a young French woman. They are immediately attracted... -
![Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter]()
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsWhen Cammie "The Chameleon" Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston, she thinks she's in for an exciting end to her summer break. After all, she's there to watch Macey's father accept the nomination for vice president of the United States. But when you go to the world's best school (for spies), "exciting" and "deadly" are never far apart... -
![Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter]()
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsCammie Morgan is back, and it's clear that her life hasn't calmed down since the events of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. At first, giddy anticipation is in the air. Gallagher Academy, Cammie's elite spy school, is hosting a visit from a covert training center for boys... -
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![Tales of Fosterganj by Ruskin Bond]()
Tales of Fosterganj by Ruskin Bond
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNew novel by one of Indias most beloved storytellers.Set in a fictional suburb on the outskirts of Mussourie, which he has made famous with his near legendary stories.Vintage Ruskin Bond that is bound to delight his readers with his understated humour, wit and effortless storytelling... -
![Go Jump in the Pool! by Gordon Korman]()
Go Jump in the Pool! by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Bruno and Boots learn that Macdonald Hall is about to lose some of its best students to its arch-rival, York Academy, because the Hall doesn't have a swimming pool, they go on the warpath, determined to save the school...Categorized as:
boarding-school humor action-adventure book children children-books comedy contemporary -
![Picture Perfect by Holly Smale]()
Picture Perfect by Holly Smale
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"My name is Harriet Manners, and I'll always be a geek." It's the hilarious third book in the No.1 bestselling, award winning GEEK GIRL series! Harriet Manners knows more facts that most. She knows that New York is the most populous city in the United States. She knows that its official motto is "Ever Upward". She knows that 28% of Americans believe we never landed on the moon... -
![Macdonald Hall #4: The Wizzle War by Gordon Korman]()
Macdonald Hall #4: The Wizzle War by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGordon Korman's classic, bestselling series celebrates its 35th anniversary! Macdonald Hall's ivy-covered buildings have housed and educated many fine young Canadians. But Bruno Walton and Boots O'Neal are far from being fine young Canadians. The roommates and best friends are nothing but trouble! Together they've snuck out after lights-out, swapped flags, kidnapped mascots . .Categorized as:
boarding-school humor action-adventure book children children-books comedy contemporary -
![Edensor by Andrea Hirata]()
Edensor by Andrea Hirata
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsI wanted to climb to the summit of challenges, attack my way through hardships as solid as granite, tempt all sorts of peril, and break through mysteries with science. I longed to inhale all sorts of experience and then explore the labyrinthine ins and outs of life that in the end cannot be guessed... -
![The Risk Pool by Richard Russo]()
The Risk Pool by Richard Russo
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Risk Pool is a thirty-year journey through the lives of Sam Hall, a small-town gambling hellraiser, and his watchful, introspective son Ned... -
![Spud by John van de Ruit]()
Spud by John van de Ruit
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt's 1990. Apartheid is crumbling. Nelson Mandela has just been released from prison. And Spud Milton?thirteen-year-old, prepubescent choirboy extraordinaire?is about to start his first year at an elite boys-only boarding school in South Africa... -
![The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall]()
The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"Delightful. . . funny and poignant." --People With a kick like the best hot sauce, this is the laugh-out-loud story of a girl determined to keep up with her aging, crazy-as-a-fox mother"If you ever pined for a mother who would take a hunting falcon as her wingman to a parent-teacher conference, Polly is the gal for you. Delicious...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama historical-fiction humor action-adventure audiobook bildungsroman book -
![Winger by Andrew Smith]()
Winger by Andrew Smith
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsRyan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy...Categorized as:
boarding-school coming-of-age drama humor 21st-century action-adventure audiobook bildungsroman -
![The Twins at St Clare's by Enid Blyton]()
The Twins at St Clare's by Enid Blyton
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSchooldays at St Clare's are never dull for twins Pat and Isabel O'Sullivan in Enid Blyton's much-loved boarding school series.In audiobook, one the twins is simply not having it. St Clare's is beneath them, and they're determined to cause a stir. But life at St Clare's is not as easy as they thought...Categorized as:
boarding-school coming-of-age humor 20th-century action-adventure book children children-books -
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![Ninja Girl by Cookie O'Gorman]()
Ninja Girl by Cookie O'Gorman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSeventeen-year-old Snow-Soon Lee kicks ass--literally. She teaches at her family-owned martial arts gym, The Academy, and cares more about training to be the next Bruce Lee than hooking up. In fact, Snow's never even been kissed. But when Girls Night rolls around, Snow decides to prove to her friends (and herself) that she's not just some boring tomboy... -
![MacDonald Hall Goes Hollywood by Gordon Korman]()
MacDonald Hall Goes Hollywood by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Gordon Korman comes another sidesplitting tale chronicling the misadventures of the boarding-school boys of MacDonald Hall.Intending to use MacDonald Hall as a location and the "locals" as scenery, the film crew of a new Hollywood movie find the not-so-ordinary Bruno and Boots getting into everything, as the beleaguered headmaster Mr...Categorized as:
boarding-school humor action-adventure book children children-books comedy contemporary -
![The Unusual Suspects by Dominic Carrillo]()
The Unusual Suspects by Dominic Carrillo
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNia’s young heart is broken– and someone’s going to pay.Who could’ve predicted where it would all lead? A teenage girl and a wise old writer, both driven by love, are now entangled in an apparent murder. Fate has bound these two strangers together in ways they never imagined.Alex was Nia’s first real boyfriend. Just as their summer romance heats up, he makes conflicting announcements...Categorized as:
coming-of-age humor historical-fiction exploration europe western-central-europe germany urban -
![Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall by Gordon Korman]()
Something Fishy at Macdonald Hall by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe school year is getting off to a wacky start at Macdonald Hall. Everyone thinks Bruno and Boots are to blame, but this time the boys are innocent -- and they're determined to find the phantom practical joker.NOTE: This title has been republished as The Joke's On Us...Categorized as:
humor boarding-school fiction young-adult children-books middle-grade comedy mystery -
![Monsignor Quixote by Graham Greene]()
Monsignor Quixote by Graham Greene
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA morally complex and mature work from a modern masterIn this later novel by Graham Greene—featuring a new introduction—the author continues to explore moral and theological dilemmas through psychologically astute character studies and exciting drama on an international stage... -
![O Menino no Espelho by Fernando Sabino]()
O Menino no Espelho by Fernando Sabino
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"Quando eu era menino, os mais velhos perguntavam: -Que é que você quer ser quando crescer? Hoje não perguntam mais. Se perguntassem, eu diria que quero ser menino." Como nesse pequeno conto, Fernando Sabino conta sobre sua infancia no livro "O menino no espelho"... -
![Ucieczka z Chinatown by Charles Yu]()
Ucieczka z Chinatown by Charles Yu
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 52 ratingsFrom the infinitely inventive author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe comes a deeply personal novel about race, pop culture, immigration, assimilation, and escaping the roles we are forced to play. Willis Wu doesn't perceive himself as a protagonist even in his own life: he's merely Generic Asian Man...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama historical-fiction humor 21st-century action-adventure adult asian-mc -
![Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa]()
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsMario Vargas Llosa's brilliant, multilayered novel is set in the Lima of the author's youth, where a young student named Marito is toiling away in the news department of a local radio station. His young life is disrupted by two arrivals.The first is his aunt Julia, recently divorced and thirteen years older, with whom he begins a secret affair...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
![Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade by Barthe DeClements]()
Nothing's Fair in Fifth Grade by Barthe DeClements
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsJenny knows one thing for sure - Elsie Edwards is a fat thief who steals people's lunch money to buy candy. So when the book club money disappears, why is the whole class punished? Nothing's fair!But soon Jenny realizes some things aren't fair for Elsie, either. Elsie is on a strict diet, but when she starts losing weight, her mother won't buy her new clothes...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure book bullying children -
![The Zucchini Warriors by Gordon Korman]()
The Zucchini Warriors by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMacdonald Hall's ivy-covered buildings have housed and educated many fine young Canadians. But Bruno Walton and Boots O'Neal are far from being fine young Canadians. The roommates and best friends are nothing but trouble! Together they've snuck out after lights-out, swapped flags, kidnapped mascots . . . and that's only the beginning...Categorized as:
humor boarding-school fiction young-adult children-books middle-grade realistic comedy -
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![The Baltimore Waltz by Paula Vogel]()
The Baltimore Waltz by Paula Vogel
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA darkly satirical play written at the height of the AIDS crisis. As a young woman is diagnosed with a mysterious new illness, she and her beloved brother flee to Europe in search of a cure and to escape the pain and uncertainty of the future. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring Jenny Bacon, Christopher Donahue and Jerry Saslow... -
![Trouble's Brewing by Juli Alexander]()
Trouble's Brewing by Juli Alexander
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFifteen-year-old Zoe has managed to turn her crush into a boyfriend without using any magic at all. But can it really work with Jake when Zoe’s father is dating Jake’s mother? Talk about a dysfunctional family... -
![Flowers For Mrs Harris by Paul Gallico]()
Flowers For Mrs Harris by Paul Gallico
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLoving her employer's haute couture dresses, London cleaner Ada Harris decides to go to the Dior fashion house in Paris to buy one for herself.Flowers for Mrs Harris was the title given to the first UK edition of Mrs 'Arris Goes To Paris, published by Michael Joseph, and the first Penguin paperback published in the same year, 1958. More recent UK editions have tended to use the American title... -
![5 cm by Donny Dhirgantoro]()
5 cm by Donny Dhirgantoro
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsBestseller book di Gramedia Bookstore selama 2 tahun berturut-turut! Lima sahabat telah menjalin persahabatan selama tujuh tahun. Mereka adalah Arial yang paling tampan, Riani sebagai satu-satunya wanita dalam kelompok itu, Zafran yang berlagak seperti seorang penyair, Ian yang paling subur badannya, dan Genta yang dianggap sebagai leader dalam kelompok itu... -
![Schooled by Gordon Korman]()
Schooled by Gordon Korman
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsHomeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television, tasted a pizza, or even heard of a wedgie. But when his grandmother lands in the hospital, Cap is forced to move in with a school counselor and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dyeing and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of public school... -
![I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter]()
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Rated: 3.89 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsThe Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school, that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE, the latest in chemical warfare in science; and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes computer class. So in truth, Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but its really a school for spies... -
![The Bittlemores by Jann Arden]()
The Bittlemores by Jann Arden
Rated: 3.81 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA heartfelt, comic, and deeply satisfying debut novel from the #1 bestselling author, singer-songwriter, member of Canada's Music Hall of Fame and star of her own hit TV sitcom. A little bit All Creatures Great and Small , a little bit Fargo and all Jann Arden!On mean Harp Bittlemore’s blighted farm, hidden away in the Backhills, nothing has gone right for a very long time... -
![Mates, Dates, and Tempting Trouble by Cathy Hopkins]()
Mates, Dates, and Tempting Trouble by Cathy Hopkins
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 14 ratings""I wonder what would have happened if I'd met you before Nesta," said Luke as he took my hand and looked deeply into my eyes. A bolt of electricity shot through me and I snatched my hand back as if it had been burnt. This can't be happening, I thought."When Luke, the boy that Nesta has been dating, declares passionate love for T.J., she doesn't know what has hit her... -
![Young and Revolting: The Continental Journals of Nick Twisp by C.D. Payne]()
Young and Revolting: The Continental Journals of Nick Twisp by C.D. Payne
Rated: 3.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe revolt (and laughs) continue in Book 5 as Nick and Sheeni duck the FBI and assorted angry parents by escaping to Paris. Try as he might to lie low, blend in, and even learn a little French, Nick soon finds himself the elusive target of a storm of European media attention. Oui, America’s most dangerous teenager may be too outrageous for the French... -
![Fishbowl by Bradley Somer]()
Fishbowl by Bradley Somer
Rated: 3.78 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAt turns funny and heartbreaking, a goldfish named Ian escapes from his bowl and, plummeting toward the street below, witnesses the lives of the Seville on Roxy residents.A goldfish named Ian is falling from the 27th-floor balcony on which his fishbowl sits. He's longed for adventure, so when the opportunity arises, he escapes from his bowl, clears the balcony railing and finds himself airborne... -
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![The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan, Beverley A. Crick]()
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan, Beverley A. Crick
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLife is sweet in this heartwarming tale of a little chocolate shop in Paris, by the bestselling author of Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams and Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe... -
![The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison]()
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsBenjamin Benjamin has lost virtually everything-his wife, his family, his home, his livelihood. With few options, Ben enrolls in a night class called The Fundamentals of Caregiving in the basement of a local church. There Ben is instructed in the art of inserting catheters and avoiding liability, about professionalism, and how to keep physical and emotional distance between client and provider... -
![Explorers of the New Century by Magnus Mills]()
Explorers of the New Century by Magnus Mills
Rated: 3.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Magnus Mills gives the world a shake, you never know what might fall out of his pockets," proclaims the Los Angeles Times. In his terse new tour de force of a tale, Mills gives history a shake, and you'll never guess what the fallout is... -
![64th Man by Bryan Tucker, Zack Phillips]()
64th Man by Bryan Tucker, Zack Phillips
Rated: 3.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratings64th Man is an Audible Original starring the world-famous, and powerfully funny John Cena, Emmy-nominated actress Anna Chlumsky (Veep), comedy legend Jane Curtin, and an all-star cast of Saturday Night Live performers and alums. Produced by Broadway Video, this sports comedy is not an audiobook—it’s a 10-episode, scripted audio series that’s like TV for your ears... -
![The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer]()
The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer
Rated: 3.69 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWitty, sarcastic Ethan and his three friends decide to take down the reality TV show, For Art's Sake, that is being filmed at their high school, the esteemed Selwyn Arts Academy, where each student is more talented than the next... -
![Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle]()
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle
Rated: 3.73 of 5 stars · 26 ratings"Sometimes when nothing happened it was really getting ready to happen." Irish Paddy rampages through Barrytown streets with like-minded hooligans, playing cowboys, etching names in wet concrete, setting fires. The gang are not bad boys, just restless. When his parents argue, Paddy stays up all night to keep them safe. Change always comes, not always for the better...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure audiobook bildungsroman -
![Withering Tights by Louise Rennison]()
Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
Rated: 3.67 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHilarious new series from Queen of Teen – laugh your tights off at the (VERY) amateur dramatic antics of Talullah and her bonkers mates. Boys, snogging and bad acting guaranteed! Picture the scene: Dother Hall performing arts college somewhere Up North, surrounded by rolling dales, bearded cheesemaking villagers (male and female) and wildlife of the squirrely-type... -
![Lucky T by Kate Brian]()
Lucky T by Kate Brian
Rated: 3.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCarrie Fitzgerald is the luckiest girl: She is the only sophomore on the varsity basketball team, she always had the lead in the school play, and she has the cutest boyfriend in school. Carrie Fitzgerald is also the most superstitious girl: She attributes all of her good luck to a Moroccan T-shirt that her father sent her from one of his distant jaunts around the world... -
![If Minds Had Toes by Lucy Eyre]()
If Minds Had Toes by Lucy Eyre
Rated: 3.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFifteen-year-old Ben Warner is dizzy with boredom working at his local fish and chips shop. One evening, a young woman saunters in and, between mouthfuls of chips, invites him to visit her in the World of Ideas. Ben is excited, but suspicious...Categorized as:
coming-of-age exploration humor action-adventure book comedy contemporary female-author -
![The Ginger Man by J.P. Donleavy]()
The Ginger Man by J.P. Donleavy
Rated: 3.63 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFirst published in Paris in 1955 and originally banned in America, J. P. Donleavy's first novel is now recognized the world over as a masterpiece and a modern classic of the highest order. Set in Ireland just after World War II, The Ginger Man is J. P...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure adult book classics -
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![Slow Boat by Hideo Furukawa]()
Slow Boat by Hideo Furukawa
Rated: 3.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA startling novella from the heir to Haruki Murakami and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.Trapped in Tokyo, left behind by a series of girlfriends, the narrator of Slow Boat sizes up his situation. His missteps, his violent rebellions, his tiny victories. But he is not a passive loser, content to accept all that fate hands him...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor 21st-century action-adventure adult anthologies comedy contemporary -
![Are You Experienced? by William Sutcliffe]()
Are You Experienced? by William Sutcliffe
Rated: 3.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA hilarious novel of a young man’s misadventures in India—from a fresh new voiceLiz travels to India because she wants to find herself. Dave travels to India because he wants to get Liz into bed.Liz loves India, hugs the beggars, and is well on her way to finding her tantric center...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure book comedy contemporary -
![Big Fish by Daniel Wallace]()
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
Rated: 3.63 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsHe could outrun anybody, and he never missed a day of school. He saved lives, tamed giants. Animals loved him. People loved him. Women loved him (and he loved them back). And he knew more jokes than any man alive.Now, as he lies dying, Edward Bloom can't seem to stop telling jokes -or the tall tales that have made him, in his son's eyes, an extraordinary man...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book -
![How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran]()
How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
Rated: 3.62 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsBook description to come...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama historical-fiction humor 21st-century action-adventure audiobook bildungsroman -
![Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout]()
Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout
Rated: 3.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsGrace Wilde is running-from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who's topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother's breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start... -
![The Wishbones by Tom Perrotta]()
The Wishbones by Tom Perrotta
Rated: 3.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEverything is going pretty well for Dave Raymond. He's 31, but he still feels young. He's playing guitar with the Wishbones, a New Jersey wedding band, and while it isn't exactly the Big Time, it is music. He has a roof over his head...well, it's his parents' roof, but they don't hassle him much. Life isn't perfect, but it isn't bad. Not bad at all...
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